Find Enchantment in New Mexico

New Mexico is known as the “Land of Enchantment” for its dramatic scenery and interesting plant and animal species. The state bird is the roadrunner and the state flower is the yucca. It is a popular location for filmmakers. Recent movies filmed in New Mexico include “The Book of Eli” and “Terminator Salvation.”

With a population density of approximately 16 people per square mile, New Mexico has just under 2 million people living in a state with a great amount of open space. Outdoor sports such as skiing, hiking, mountain biking, fishing, rafting, ballooning, golf and horseback riding are popular.

Much of the state is at high elevation. The lowest point in the state is at 2,842 feet. Albuquerque, the largest city, is at 5,312 feet. New Mexico was the 47th state to join the United States. It will celebrate its centennial as a state in 2012.

New Mexico has an interesting combination of high tech and history. It is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which is known throughout the world for its nuclear research, and the Trinity Site, where the first atomic bomb was exploded in 1945. The clear skies over New Mexico have led to the establishment of a number of key astronomical observatories including the Very Large Array that consists of 27 radio antennas.

Intel maintains a major plant in Rio Rancho, New Mexico and many other high technology companies have a presence there. A public survey gave Albuquerque’s professional baseball team the name “Isotopes.” The name choice was influenced by an episode of The Simpsons cartoon series, but it also recognizes the state’s role in nuclear history.

New Mexico is also home to the oldest continuously used government building in the United States, the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe. It was built in 1610. There are even older structures built by Native Americans. The ruins of these impressive pueblos and cliff dwellings can be seen in a number of locations. Bandelier National Monument and Aztec Ruins National Monument are two of the sites where evidence of ancient Native American culture can be seen.

In addition to its Native American and Spanish history, New Mexico is known for its cowboys and outlaws of the Old West. Many visitors like to trace the history of the outlaw Billy the Kid through the badlands of New Mexico in Lincoln and De Baca Counties.